Nov. 4--El Dorado County plans to boost production of electricity from methane gas at its Union Mine Landfill.

The Board of Supervisors this week approved a contract with STI Engineering of Silverado to install and operate a gas-to-electricity project on the 35-acre landfill south of Placerville. The project, to be undertaken at no cost to the county, is expected to supply electricity for a wastewater treatment plant at the site. Electricity also will be sold to power companies, and the county will receive a 10 percent royalty on the sales.

Greg Stanton, deputy director of environmental management, said less than 30 percent of the methane gas generated at the landfill is converted to electricity now using a system of micro-turbines. As much as 80 percent is burned in a landfill flare.

Reg Renaud, president of STI Engineering, said the firm uses steam injection to accelerate decomposition of organic materials in the landfill and increase methane gas production. The process has made it feasible to carry out gas-to-electricity projects at smaller closed landfills like Union Mine, he said.

"I was excited about this," Supervisor Jack Sweeney said. "This is where we were headed 20 years ago at Union Mine."

Technological advances make it possible improve on the existing system, he said.

The contractor will pay to install and operate the project.

The county expects to benefit by using the electricity to operate the Union Mine wastewater treatment plant. Current electricity use at the plant costs about $250,000 annually, according to a staff report.

The 10 percent royalty on electricity sales is expected to generate at least $122,000 for the county each year. In addition, the contractor will assume maintenance of the landfill gas collection system and landfill cover, saving the county between $20,000 and $100,000.

Renaud said the system should be operating within 10 months.

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